The Ammuchi Puchi

Synopsis

The Ammuchi Puchi by Sharanya Manivannan

'When Anjali and I were really little, we were sort of afraid of our grandmother, Ammuchi...' Aditya and Anjali love listening to their grandmother's stories, particularly the scary one about the ghost in the tree. But the night their grandmother passes away, all her stories seem to lose their meaning. Then something happens that is more mysterious and magical than any story. Could their grandmother still be with them after all? A poignant and moving story about bereavement and healing, stunningly illustrated and told in gorgeous poetic prose.

Reviews

'Sharanya Manivannan's beautiful story will help sensitive children from the world over make friends with loss, and Nerina Canzi's colour-drenched, jewel-like illustrations bring this tale of grandmothers, families and a very special butterfly to radiant life. The Ammuchi Puchi will take children, and adults, of all ages, on an unforgettable, sweet-sad journey from grey back into a world of glorious colour.' - Nilanjana Roy, award-winning author of The Wildings; 'Stunning, vibrant illustrations bring this book to life... Not only is this a poignant story, handling the issue of bereavement with tact and understanding, it also shows children that grief is a universal emotion, shared by all cultures and peoples. Simply beautiful!' - North Somerset Teachers'

; 'This is just a beautiful book, about love and loss and magic and subjective truth, the hugest of subjects delicately handled for the smallest of people.' - Preeta Samarasan, award-winning author of Evening is the Whole Day; 'I was genuinely very emotional by the end of this book. I loved these children and their grandmother so much, it's a very important relationship exemplified with emotion and heart... The story itself is artfully done, we learn about a strong, sparky, joyful and creative female role model in Ammuchi, who adores her grandchildren, inspires them and ignites their imaginations! ... A traditional story feel, bursting with bright colours and emotion set to the backdrop of beautiful India. One for every bookshelf and library.' - Alexis Filby, librarian and author of popular blog Book Monsters; 'The essence of Ammuchi Puchi is of universal appeal and relevance. It's a beautiful picture book, both for sharing and, with its satisfyingly substantial text, for an older child to read alone. It is a moving, thought-provoking story that doesn't offer any answers, but only asks of its readers that they have an open mind - and is all the richer because of it.' - Marjorie Coughlan, Windows, Mirrors, Doors

About the Author

Sharanya Manivannan is an award-winning writer based in India. Her fiction, poetry and essays have been widely published internationally, and she was specially commissioned to write and perform a poem at the 2015 Commonwealth Day Observance in London. The Ammuchi Puchi is Sharanya's first picture book. Her forthcoming books for adults include The High Priestess Never Marries and The Altar of the Only World. You can find out more about Sharanya on her website (http://sharanyamanivannan.wordpress.com)